Friday, May 30, 2014

I ♥ Table Linens

This post is not about spinning or knitting. It is about placemats. I love table linens, especially placemats and my absolute favorite set of all time is this set:

As is obvious, this set is quite worn but I just keep using them because I really like them. They make me feel Tuscan or Greek or something "other worldly."

I have looked and looked to replace them but can never find anything comparable. The fabric is rather like denim, various shades of denim. So after about 2 years of looking, I realized I was going to have to sew something.

I have looked for fabric for about 1 1/2 years. Sometime in that time, I came to learn that the fabric I wanted was likely going to be "chambray." The closest prints I could find were always fish or lake related - definitely not the look I was going for. I've googled chambray and denim fabric many times but the last time I was finally directed to Fabric.com! Whoda thought? At Fabric.com, I found this fabric.

It is definitely not the same but I liked it - more than any other I've seen. So I ordered it and also some light weight denim "shirting" for the back of the placemats. The print fabric said "Dry Cleaning Recommended," but is 100% cotton so I decided to take a chance. I mean, who would ever have dry clean only placemats. For eating on. When the fabrics arrived, I promptly laundered them to pre-shrink them. They were wrinkled after drying but pressed out nicely.

And I was pleased at how nice it matched some of my dishes. I realize it may be overkill at the table - to be determined at a later date. :^)

So I began the process of creating a pattern - not very difficult, especially using newspaper - two of the sides were already square. I basically measured one of my old placemats and added an inch to each side.

When I was cutting the pieces out of the fabric, I placed the pattern on the fold (which I had created by lining up the selvages and then pressing - something Mrs. Spilker stressed, back in 7th grade Home Ec.) That gave me double the length, so I cut them apart on the fold. I then had 6 pieces of both types of fabric.

I pinned them together, one piece of the print and one piece of the shirting, with right sides together. I stitched them all the way around, leaving about a four inch opening to pull the right sides through. I trimmed the seams and clipped the corners and then pulled them through the opening.

After pulling them through the opening, I pressed them well,
pressing under the opening fabric so that it lined up with the sewn edge. I
then top stitched twice with matching thread. The first, or outer top stitch
seam was 1/8 inch from the edge and the second top stitch seam was ¼ inch from
the first seam.

Once all the cutting and pinning was finished, the sewing goes very quickly. These are not what I was looking for but I think they will do very nicely. And I may just keep looking for the Tuscan fabric of my dreams. :^)

On a side note, I mentioned in a previous post that I had purchased a Traditional Ashford spinning wheel on eBay. It arrived yesterday from New Zealand. I have not yet assembled it so here's how it sits right now. I think I will put a finish on it tomorrow. It has only been stained. But let me say, if you are in the market for a spinning wheel, check out this web page: http://www.vjhandycraftsandspinningwheels.com/ or find the business on eBay athttp://www.ebay.com/sch/rotjoa/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from= They really know how to pack a spinning for long distance travel and the New Zealand Post was mighty prompt. And they have great prices - refurbished with care. :^)

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About Me

Hello and welcome. Introductions are in order. My name is Linda. I am the wife of a wonderful man, Dean. I'm the mother of 2 grown "boys" and the stepmother of another grown boy and a grown girl. I have 4 step grandsons and 6 step-step grandchildren. Clear?
I have been a stay-at-home mom since my boys were born and have spent a good deal of time spinning yarns and knitting garments. I will attempt to journal some of my projects, past and present, and spin a few memories along the way.
And my new blog, A Sip From the Well, involves my love of the Bible and my attempts to see what it says to us today.
I hope you enjoy your visit. Please feel free to introduce yourself in the comment section.